Wendy Hammond

under an hour - and it's 7:30 eastern so 4:30 Pacific

I'm curious, Erin, what YOU think the impression of suddenly stopping a giveaway program would give to parents and children.

Through our North American lens, it might seem heartless and cruel. Taking away Christmas.

Through the recipient community lens, it may be a relief. Not having to figure out what to do with or how to pay for random boxes of things that may or may not be appropriate for the children in the community (and that often come in July, not Christmas); father not having to explain why someone in North America gives his kids things while he can’t.

One alternative is a global partnership such as those offered through World Renew. Perhaps they could send Christmas greetings to each other. In one of these church partnerships, the churches send letters to one another. These letters have been kept and read and reread over the years. During COVID, they have also attended each other’s church services online.

Perhaps they could take the money that would be spent at big box stores here and instead send it to the local church to provide a special holiday meal for the families in their community, allowing the local church to be the hero in their own story of transformation. Or, perhaps both the North American church and the church in the developing community could both do a community meal at similar times, sharing ideas and experiences for outreach and how to share the gospel in word and deed.  

The impression? Wow, our brothers and sisters in Christ value us.

Thank you Dan. 

Central services (HR, the building expenses, IT staff time, etc.) are allocated to the agencies based on usage. World Renew is charged for the services it uses, which it pays for with donor dollars. Theoretically it then contributes to economies of scale, however our accountants do keep an eye on whether we are saving or spending more by being part of central services.

Dan,

You are correct that we do receive benefits of the denomination and report to Synod. Therefore our official stance on climate change is the same as Synod’s: http://justice.crcna.org/creation-care-church-speaks

Note especially the first four items in the call to action for churches:

1. That synod call upon the churches, members, and denominational bodies to be voices for justice and public examples in the effort to live sustainably within our God-given resources, to promote stewardship in our own communities and our nations, and to seek justice for the poor and vulnerable among us and for future generations.

2. That synod call upon the churches and their members to reduce individual and collective carbon emissions to the atmosphere. We should examine energy choices in our homes, lives, businesses, farms, and institutions from a perspective of stewardship, challenging ourselves to use less energy and to use it more wisely.

3. That synod call upon the churches and their members to consider and advocate for public strategies that reduce carbon emissions and move us toward very low or zero net emissions.

4. That synod call upon the churches, their members, and appropriate denominational agencies and institutions to respond with generosity and compassion to people and places negatively affected by climate change, as well as to make efforts to mitigate it. This includes advocating with our governments to take the necessary actions in an effective global framework to assist populations that are bearing the brunt of the negative effects of climate change while being the least able to cope.

 #4 is where World Renew comes in. The communities where we work are impacted by changing weather patterns, climate change, deforestation, land degradation, etc. Subsistence farmers need to drastically change their agricultural practices in order to achieve food security. We are responding to more droughts and floods internationally, and to more natural disasters within the U.S. 

I would hope that even if one disagrees with the premise of the cause of climate change, that one could get behind the work that we are doing to help people have enough to eat.

Which brings us back to the original question: Do we believe Mark 8:36?

Yes. We believe in the WHOLE Bible. The good news that is not just for Sunday, but for every square inch, 24/7.

People have come to Christ because we distributed food relief at churches regardless if the recipient was Muslim or Christian.

Refugees are meeting Christians for the first time.

Churches have been planted in West Africa because the Muslims were so touched by the relief given by a neighboring Christian village.

Churches in North America and around the world are growing because rather than give a handout, relationships are built to help people out of not just material poverty but spiritual poverty. This is change that lasts--for eternity.

Agreed.

Jamie, is he working with an organization that has a US partner?